How to Build a French Fry “Charcuterie” Board

The following recipes and photography were provided by local blogger Abby Thome of The Thome Home.

Everyone loves a charcuterie board, but not every occasion calls for an elegant spread of meats and cheeses!

Take football for example. While we’re watching our favorite teams march down the field from the comfort of our couch, we want to munch on the comfort foods that are common on game day! That’s when an genius idea struck – take the charcuterie board concept and combine it with game food! If that’s not a game-winning idea, I don’t know what is!

For this board, I chose to feature one of my favorite game day foods – French fries! Savory and crisp, they’re easy to assemble and even easier to snack on throughout the day!

Heinen’s makes it easy to build this board thanks to the assortment of French fries available in their Frozen Department. From tater tots to simple straight cut and classic crinkles, you’re board can easily be filled with shapes and textures without having to cut the fries yourself!

I added a few effortless touches to each of my frozen finds to up the flavor ante, and even made my own sweet potato tots; however, the great thing about this board is that you can add whatever you want to it. If you prefer to bake and serve as is, do that! If you want to add a seasoning blend or coating, go for it, and if you want to make fries and tots from scratch, have at it! The opportunities for customization are truly endless.

Now, let’s be honest, you can’t have French fries without a dipping sauce! While I love classic ketchup, I got a little creative and whisked together a few simple sauces that are sure to please. I offered French fry and sauce pairing suggestions below, but everything on this board can easily be mixed-and-matched!

Let’s dig in!

Parmesan & Chive Sweet Potato Tots + Horseradish Mustard Sauce

Ingredients

For the Tots

• 3 sweet potatoes, baked until fork tender
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp, onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 2 Tbsp. chives, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese

For the Coating

• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 1 cup Heinen’s panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• Heinen’s avocado spray oil

For the Horseradish Mustard Dipping Sauce

• 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 Tbsp. horseradish
• 1/3 cup brown mustard
• 2 Tbsp. vinegar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Instructions

For the Parmesan and Chive Sweet Potato Tots

1. Roast the sweet potatoes in the oven until fork tender. Allow to cool, then remove the skin.
2. Create the coating by combining the parmesan, panko and pepper in a small bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, mash together the roasted sweet potatoes with the onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, chives and parmesan cheese.
4. Using a small cookie scoop, measure out about 1 ½ Tbsp. of the sweet potato mixture and shape into tater tot form.
5. Place the tater tot into the coating and roll until it is fully covered.
6. Place the coated tater tot onto a parchment-lined baking sheet repeat until all of the sweet potato mixture is used.
7. Liberally spray the tots with Heinen’s avocado spray oil.
8. Bake at 400˚F for 20 minutes, flip, spray with more avocado oil and bake for an additional 20-30 minutes until tots are crispy and golden.

For the Horseradish Mustard Dipping Sauce

1. Whisk together all of the ingredients and store in the fridge until ready to serve.

Parmesan Parsley Fries + Homemade Ranch

Ingredients

For the Fries

• 1 bag Heinen’s frozen straight cut fries
• 2 Tbsp. parsley, finely minced
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
• 3 Tbsp. butter, melted

For the Ranch

• 1/3 cup mayo
• 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
• 2/3 buttermilk
• 1 ½ Tbsp. chives, finely minced
• 1/2 tsp. dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp. dried dill weed
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper

Instructions

For the Fries

1. Cook the French fries according to the package instructions.
2. Melt the butter in a bowl.
3. Add the cooked French fries to a large bowl and toss with the melted butter.
4. Add the parsley and parmesan and toss to coat.

For the Ranch

1. Whisk together all of the ingredients until smooth and creamy. Store in the fridge until ready to enjoy!

Simple Crinkle Cut Fries + Everything Bagel Ketchup

Ingredients

For the Fries

• Heinen’s frozen crinkle cut fries
• Heinen’s avocado spray oil
• A sprinkle of salt
• A pinch of black pepper

For the Everything Bagel Ketchup

• 1 ½ cups ketchup
• 1 tsp. poppy seeds
• 1 tsp. sesame seeds
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder

Instructions

For the Fries

1. Prior to cooking the fries according to the package instructions, spray with Heinen’s avocado spray oil and sprinkle with salt and black pepper.

For the Everything Bagel Ketchup

1. Whisk together all of the ingredients until combined. Store in the fridge until ready to enjoy!

Bacon-Wrapped Tater Tots

Ingredients

• 36 frozen tater tots
• 1/2 lb. Heinen’s CARE Certified medium sliced bacon
• 1cup brown sugar
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cayenne, garlic and onion powder.
2. Cut each slice of bacon into thirds.
3. Wrap a slice of bacon around each tater tot.
4. Roll the tater tots in the brown sugar and spice mixture and place them on a baking sheet, seam-side-down.
5. Bake at 400˚F for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through, until caramelized.

By Heinen's Grocery Store

In 1929, Joe Heinen opened the doors of a small butcher shop on the east side of Cleveland, Ohio, aiming to establish himself as the city’s purveyor of quality meats. As customers came into Heinen’s new shop for their meat purchases, they began asking him to carry groceries as well. Joe added homemade peanut butter, pickles and donuts and by 1933, business had grown enough to include a line of produce and canned goods. Heinen’s Grocery Store was born.